My Dearest Children,

I am your loving well –wisher who can relate to you all. Do you know why? It is simple… because, I too was a child like you. I was full of energy dreams, ambitions, self-confidence and much more, but even before these could produce any kind of positive results, I was a victim of circumstances of various kinds which challenged me on all fronts! I could not attend school as I had to look after my mother who was bed-ridden after an accident, and faced so many trying challenges and upheavals in life. For nearly four decades I had nothing going on ‘perfect’ for me. Yet, all along, I realized, quite to my own amazement, years later, that I had all along been a hard core optimist. I could also clearly see that I was protecting myself through a process of ‘self-counseling’ even at the tender age of seven! Yes, though seemingly, I had no one to give me solace, due to this boon, I still had my own self to lean back on!

Years rolled by and during this course, I had definitely lost on many fronts, but the beauty of it all is, I realized, as it unfolded gently to me, that I had steadily gained on several other fronts too!! After all, life is full of ups and downs, successes and failures.

But what is important is your own ability to stay stable and least affected and learn to count your blessings and net ‘take a ways’ from your life.

Today I consider myself rich with this very ability – to surf through life’s ups and downs with a kind of amazing dexterity that takes even me, by surprise! Today, as I look back at my life I find that it has been the most eventful and adventurous one I could have ever imagined. My overall life canvas is so beautiful! Well, that was my story; just like that of many others who have surfed and come out unscathed…life goes on…

But then, how about yours? Are you a child, or in case you are a young adult now, were you a happy child? I fondly hope you were. Even otherwise, you ought to be, as, believe me, you have come to this world to be so. Even if you were not so lucky enough to be one, just think for a moment…can you not (in a gentle and determined way), super impose the sad and nasty patches of your past childhood, with some of those delightful, beautiful moments which you would have had, even if they were just a few? Try to recollect, instill and focus on those golden moments. Those who have enjoyed a great childhood with all its bounties, please be compassionate and loving to others who have not been as lucky as you!

Just try this exercise. Whenever flashbacks of a sad, horrible, or unpleasant experience trouble your mind, just observe those thoughts as though some dear friend of yours is narrating his sad thoughts related to his/her experience to you. In that case what would you most likely, do? Would you not console him/her saying, ‘Oh don’t worry, we are there for you’. Or you might say, ‘forget it, now you are having me with you, as such a good friend of yours’, etc. Right?

When we try our might to comfort others around us, are we not capable of doing the same to our own mind and strengthen it giving it gentle guidance, comfort, love and optimism?

Indeed yes!! Just has to be tried, believed and exercised consistently. Now, what would invariably happen is that your mind learns to attune itself to this new guidance given by your intellect and reasoning power when it finds you so resolute. And, the pliable mind changes course!

Negative, traumatic thoughts or other similar, triggering flashes leading to sad, depressive states, all vanish, slowly fading away to the background! A new life starts sprouting…all through your own self-efforts! You find yourself more optimistic, forward looking, self-reliant and composed. Once this state of mind can be sustained, you find yourself moving to a stronger state where you are capable of not only directing your own mind but begin serving as a beacon for others around you who were in a similar predicament of hopelessness as yours.

A small digression! You know what? Whenever I see certain people in certain predicaments, I track them back to their infancy…every terrorist, every towering personality, every single person irrespective of what they demonstrate or have acquired over a long span of time, had once been a baby after all! Yes, a baby, so lovable, so pure, so innocent irrespective of its origin, place of birth, caste, creed, social or economic status, right? Where did these beautiful attributes vanish altogether? When and where along the line did ‘hatred’ animosity, jealousy, unhealthy competition, depression, all - crop up? And before we realize, these spread like forest fire? Heart of hearts nobody likes any of these. People love children and the child in themselves, too. So, how to get back that ‘childlike’ disposition? You will get to know soon. The trick is to just work on yourselves. Just you …and yourself and your own mind to work on.

Coming back to you, Children, you are like the fresh flowers of a garden. Flowers of a garden present themselves in various hues, colours, textures, sizes, fragrances, some stand-alone ones and some bunched together as attractive ones with varied properties and purposes to serve nature selflessly while whispering an appeal to be dealt with in a gentle and loving and meaningful manner. So are children!

However, it is also true that not all children are lucky or lead a glorious, happy childhood extending into adulthood with cherished memories . The reasons could be very, very many. Some may suffer ill-health or physical handicaps while some could bear ill-treatment by sadists. Some hail from families to poor to afford their most treasured toys and accessories which they would have loved to possess and enjoy. Some encounter and suffer wrong-doings by elders or even their own parents! Glorious childhood is lost or missed amidst all this kind of commotion. It is a long and painful exercise to even list the unfortunate circumstances or kinds of injustice meted out to many children, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries.

But, despite all this, everything that happens in life happens for the GOOD! The logic is simple. Whenever there is any kind of suffering, along with it, is a bonus bagged, in the form of a ‘lesson for life’. This is not a lesson theoretically absorbed by us for procuring marks or grades in examinations that could in turn lead to attainment yielding a salary or other material benefits. It is something so profound that could yet last life-long and serve us as well as the entire mankind in a very timely and rich manner. However, this fact can only be experienced and realized. It cannot be tutored. For the time being, it is enough if you realize that there is some merit in this and understanding so, hold on to this faith, for, life will unfold this truth on its own when it is the opportune moment for you.

So then, what would children have to do, if they happen to nurse ill-feelings towards their own parents whom they cannot give up loving in one corner of their hearts? Simple, continue loving them. Learn to accept them and forgive them, considering the fact that they too would have been a victim of circumstance(s) which led them to irrational behavior at times, and that they too love you in a corresponding corner of their hearts!

The best you can do is to reciprocate this love of theirs with yours and cash in on their blessings! Forget their faults. Do not be judgmental or vengeful or bitter, you are a sweet child after all. Do never forget that!

Be grateful that their glaring faults help you shape up as a better parent yourself! Take a vow today that you can and will take control of your past your present and your future and shine as a role-model worth emulation by all! Let us all constantly strive to reach this goal of being the best role-model parents/elders of this kind, in our own circles at least.